DISQUS

VentureBeat: Wikia lets companies add their widgets as search results

  • Seth Finkelstein · 1 year ago
    I like the way you described it here: "Wikia was started by Wikipedia [CO-]founder Jimmy Wales in 2006 to try to take monetary advantage of the user contributions ..."

    You may enjoy a recent _Guardian_ column I wrote on Wikipedia's history, and advertising:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/25/wikipedia.internet

    Relevant quote: "It's informative to observe how long [Jimmy] Wales has been pursuing a strategy of selling advertising around other people's work."
  • Chris Morrison · 1 year ago
    The controversy over Wales' involvement in Wikipedia is pretty well known (at least in our audience) and I prefer not to rehash it in every single article about Wikia, which one might note is a for-profit company that's pretty straightforward about its "strategy of selling advertising around other people's work."

    I do find the raw hatred Wales has inspired in a number of people pretty impressive. If only that could be monetized..

    Point on the CO-founder note, I will correct that.
  • Seth Finkelstein · 1 year ago
    To be clear, I was complimenting your description of Wikia. As I've written, I regard the business press as important, because they are (socially) allowed to make observations which are considered rude and improper in other punditry contexts. So I've been trying to bring some of the financial analysis which is permitted in the business press to other areas. When I make the observation that venture capitalists want money back, preferably large returns on their investment, you may consider that the most elementary baby-simple statement, but elsewhere it's regarded as a radical and almost insulting statement.

    Many people believe Wales has treated them extremely poorly, either in his role as entrepreneur or as a person. I suggest to you that while of course these situations are not uncommon, there is an extra dose of salt-in-the-wound from, let's say, his presentation of himself.
  • Chris Morrison · 1 year ago
    Gotcha, and I misread your comment. Good point on press roles, not to mention perspective.
  • abercrombie622 · 1 month ago
    Ed Hardy Clothing is no curb to the amazing styles of Ed Hardy Clothing.
    http://www.edhardysell.com